Returning to Church after attending a Protestant Church

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NoelleW

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Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
 
Yes, Noelle, you’re a Catholic. Imperfect, like all of us, but still a Catholic.

There are issues you’ll need to work out for yourself as an individual, and for your family.

If you’re regularly attending Mass again, you’ll probably want to be able to receive communion. Reconciliation is the way to go. In this case, “reconciliation” is a really great name for the sacrament since it reconciles any problems with God and reconciles you with the Church.

You might find it helpful to make an appointment with a priest for confession and to be able to ask any questions or resolve any issues that might be hindering you. One thing you might want to ask him about is the status of your marriage and whether any steps need to be taken so that it will be recognized by the Church. He would also know if your parish offers any kind of program for returning Catholics.

The other issues are in terms of your family. How does your husband feel about your reversion? Would he consider attending Mass with you sometimes? Do you have children? Are there any issues in terms of their religious education and practice?

Welcome home!
 
The primary thing is to speak to a priest and go to confession.

I don’t see anything wrong with you sometimes or still going with your husband to his church. You know now that we cannot however partake in their communion services.

Welcome home!!!🙂
 
The best thing to do is explain what you explained here to a priest, and answer any questions he may have.

You are certainly welcome back to the Catholic Church! Number one, I believe, is to marry in the Catholic Church. This can be done without any fanfare. If your husband is not on board with that, the priest will explain something else to do.

God bless you on your journey home!
 
NoelleW said:
Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
Click to expand...
You are indeed a Catholic as you will always be no matter what. You are one confession away from a state of Grace practicing Catholic.

On your side note. It can be tricky. But generally yes you can. Have you ever read Rome sweet Home by Dr Scott Hahn?
 
Confess, and receive catholic communion in a catholc church weekly on Sunday (or Saturday vigil mass weekly),
Ask the priest in confession is it ok for you to attend your husbands mass,
NoelleW said:
Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
Click to expand...
 
Welcome back!

Yippie! :extrahappy:

Now, buy a copy of Catholicism For Dummies and use it. And check out all the questions in the Forums because many have asked yours more than once.

Glenda
 
A catholic is bound under mortal sin to receive communion weekly on Saturday vigil mass or Sunday mass, (and to receive confession at least once a year,

although a person should go to confession monthly),

Bring Our Lady back into your life; all the work she has done to bring people to her Son at Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, (the call to pray the rosary to ask her to intercede to God for us)

Also: your first obligation is to your children as a married person, so their needs might mean you cannot pray as much as you would like, or go to adoration as much as you like, but do always attend the weekly Mass mentioned above and receive catholic communion, maybe join a catholic prayer group (but your obligations to children come first so it may not be possible yet),

Wear a blessed miraculous medal, or brown scapular,

Ask your patron saints to help you (they can pray to God for us still)

Your confession will include all your sins from when you stopped going to catholic confession (you might be able to tell the priest the number of years since your last confession, and then go through the mortal sins broken for each of the commandments)

Welcome Home to the True Church!

God blessed Christians if they do not know better, but if God reveals to you that the Catholic Church is the Truest Way to His Son -you are obliged to lovingly follow the Catholic Church and receive the most graces from Him , of His True Presence in the Eucharist, the Sacraments like Confession, our Lady and the saints intercession, etc…
NoelleW said:
Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
Click to expand...
 
When you go to confession sometime, have a miraculous medal or brown scapular or st Benedict medal (or a few) to ask the priest to bless.
Even a small statue of Our Lady to ask the priest to bless. Wear the medal or scapular or carry them on you. Leave the blessed objects around your house (it has God’s blessing to keep bad spirits away and bless your home and person),
Get a bottle of holy water, bless yourself with holy water each day in te sign of the cross, did you know there is an exorcist blessing on Holy Water to bring God’s blessing or healing, grace, remission of venial sins, and protection from bad spirits.
Have a little holy water font somewhere or if that’s offensive to the others just use the water from the bottle. Consecrate your family to Our Lady. She will intercede

God loves your christian family (though it’s not exactly the true church Jesus founded, it is very close , He might call them to convert eventually but it’s their free will , they are safe with Jesus if through not fault of their own they do not know that Jesus founded the a Catholic Church and it had been handed down over 2000 years unbroken to us with all the sacraments
NoelleW said:
Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
Click to expand...
 
OurLadysServant said:
A catholic is bound under mortal sin to receive communion weekly on Saturday vigil mass or Sunday mass, (and to receive confession at least once a year,

…
Click to expand...
Wrong on both counts, I’m sorry to say, OurLadysServant.

A Catholic is NOT ‘bound under mortal sin to receive Communion weekly’. They ARE bound to attend Mass, but not bound to receive.

A Catholic is NOT bound to go to Confession at least once a year (see Canon Law 989). They ARE bound to confess mortal sins, true, but they are not bound to confess if all they are conscious of are venial sins . It is highly recommended to confess venial sins, but it is not required.

We must be careful to give only accurate information.
 
OurLadysServant;12464630**:
A catholic is bound under mortal sin to receive communion weekly on Saturday vigil mass or Sunday mass,
Click to expand...
(and to receive confession at least once a year,

although a person should go to confession monthly),

Bring Our Lady back into your life; all the work she has done to bring people to her Son at Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, (the call to pray the rosary to ask her to intercede to God for us)

Also: your first obligation is to your children as a married person, so their needs might mean you cannot pray as much as you would like, or go to adoration as much as you like, but do always attend the weekly Mass mentioned above and receive catholic communion, maybe join a catholic prayer group (but your obligations to children come first so it may not be possible yet),

Wear a blessed miraculous medal, or brown scapular,

Ask your patron saints to help you (they can pray to God for us still)

Your confession will include all your sins from when you stopped going to catholic confession (you might be able to tell the priest the number of years since your last confession, and then go through the mortal sins broken for each of the commandments)

Welcome Home to the True Church!

God blessed Christians if they do not know better, but if God reveals to you that the Catholic Church is the Truest Way to His Son -you are obliged to lovingly follow the Catholic Church and receive the most graces from Him , of His True Presence in the Eucharist, the Sacraments like Confession, our Lady and the saints intercession, etc…

WHAT!!!
 
Regarding receiving Protestant communion, I looked up an EWTN catholic priest answering this question,
You can attend protestand services and join in, but it is forbidden to receive Protestant communion bread -you have to confess this to a catholic priest. Just google confession times in your area, or check the church leaflets for confession times.
Also a catholic is obliged under mortal sin to receive catholic communion weekly on Sunday mass or Saturday vigil mass. So if you do go to Protestant mass optionally you are still obliged to go to Catholic mass weekly as mentioned above.

You would have to confess, leaving the true faith, not receiving communion or confession for – number of years, receiving Protestant communion, and for any mortal sins or commandments broken over those years.
The first confession for a convert is a big one. Then the rest are much easier because there will have been no build up of sin,

See the following:
Answer by Fr. John Trigilio on 6/11/2005:
Catholics MAY attend Protestant services and may sing, pray, etc. but they CANNOT and SHOULD NOT ever receive communion in a non-Catholic church. That is considered COMMUNICATIO IN SACRIS and is still forbidden by canon law (#1365). However, one can still be very devout, loyal, obedient and an orthodox Roman Catholic and at the same time be ecumenical. Attending non-Catholic prayer services is not forbidden. Receiving any sacrament or alleged sacrament in a non-Catholic church is forbidden. Catholics cannot consider a Protestant worship service as fulfilling their Sunday obligation, however, and must still attend a Catholic Mass. Only absolute necessity can a Catholic go to an Eastern Orthodox church for their Sunday obligation when there is no Catholic Church (Latin or Byzantine) in a reasonable distance.

COPYRIGHT 2014

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NoelleW said:
Hello,

I was baptized Catholic and raised Catholic. I stopped attending in college and then I meet and married a Presbyterian in his church and I have been attending Presbyterian services since. It is 12 years later and I am still happily married with two children. I have always considered myself and Catholic but being distant from the church has weighted heavily on me for a long time and has made me feel…very distant from God also.

I want to start to do the right things.

My specific question is this…I am listed as a member of a Presbyterian church for sometime. I have NOT been baptized outside of the Catholic church but I have accepted the Eucharist at a few services which I know was wrong. Am I still considered a Catholic, albeit one in bad standing?

On a side note…now that I am attending Mass, is it wrong to go to the Presbyterian services as well? I have no desire to do so, but I feel like I am abandoning my spouse.

Thank you
Click to expand...
 
Noelle W,

I didn’t see anyone address the part about you saying you were married in the Presbyterian church. This needs to be addressed, and it is good if you see a priest as soon as possible.

Peace,

Dorothy
 
OurLadysServant said:
A catholic is bound under mortal sin to receive communion weekly on Saturday vigil mass or Sunday mass, (and to receive confession at least once a year,

although a person should go to confession monthly),

Bring Our Lady back into your life; all the work she has done to bring people to her Son at Fatima, Lourdes, Medjugorje, (the call to pray the rosary to ask her to intercede to God for us)

Also: your first obligation is to your children as a married person, so their needs might mean you cannot pray as much as you would like, or go to adoration as much as you like, but do always attend the weekly Mass mentioned above and receive catholic communion, maybe join a catholic prayer group (but your obligations to children come first so it may not be possible yet),

Wear a blessed miraculous medal, or brown scapular,

Ask your patron saints to help you (they can pray to God for us still)

Your confession will include all your sins from when you stopped going to catholic confession (you might be able to tell the priest the number of years since your last confession, and then go through the mortal sins broken for each of the commandments)

Welcome Home to the True Church!

God blessed Christians if they do not know better, but if God reveals to you that the Catholic Church is the Truest Way to His Son -you are obliged to lovingly follow the Catholic Church and receive the most graces from Him , of His True Presence in the Eucharist, the Sacraments like Confession, our Lady and the saints intercession, etc…
Click to expand...
Not in my Church!!! [By the way, Mass is a proper noun…]
 
OurLadysServant said:
A catholic is bound under mortal sin to receive communion weekly on Saturday vigil mass or Sunday mass
Click to expand...
This is incorrect; in fact it would be a mortal sin to receive Holy Communion if not in a state of grace. Many parishes don’t offer Confession on a Sunday.
 
I think we are supposed to receive conmmunion at least once a year, though, unless something prevents us.

Aren’t we also supposed to go to confession once a year? I’ve heard varying things on this. Some say yes, others say no, as long as you’re in a state of Grace.
 
Welcome Home. :dancing:
Rejoice and be glad.

As others have said, the easiest option is to simply arrange for a private meeting with your parish priest. He will be able to help with what is important for you and your circumstances. Please try not to worry about whether something was right or not, God will guide you gently one step at a time and it will all work out.

We often assume that we follow a process in a set order, and generally that happens, but not always because only God truly knows what we need and when. When I reverted, many things were sort of back to front, but that was God’s special plan to bring and keep me home.

Rejoice, be glad and arrange for a nice chat with your priest.
 
The main thing is to go to confession. You probably don’t have to stop attending the other Church with your spouse, but I don’t think you should participate in their version of the Eucharist.
 
Thank you all for your kind replies. Truly. I will contact the our local church, I already have some close friends who attend. I know I have several issues here, mainly my marriage not in the church and that my children are not baptized Catholic. I need to deal with all this but I will have to take things one step at a time. Fortunately, I do have a great husband who knows that this has been on my mind for a long time. I know he will not object to me rejoining the church, I think I can convince him to let the kids come, and I think I MIGHT be able to presude him to join me in time.
 
The Church recognizes baptism from other denominations, so your children are validly baptized already.
 
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